Tuesday, August 8, 2017

A quick and easy and oh-so-tasty lunch in minutes - great for an on-the-go lunch sandwich.

ingredients

2 spring onions finely chopped

3 tbsp low fat natural cottage cheese

15g reduced fat Cheddar cheese, grated

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

salt and pepper

method

Put the spring onions, cottage cheese, Cheddar cheese and parsley into a bowl. Season to taste and mix well.

Spread the mixture over one slice of bread and sandwich together
with another. This sandwich goes well with celery sticks and salad.

Tip: Use two slices of wholemeal bread from a 400g
loaf (6 Syns or a Healthy Extra b choice). Or you could use a wholemeal
roll, rye bread, crisp breads or a Free wrap made from firm lettuce
leaves, such as iceberg or romaine.

A hearty one-pot
meal with a delicious combination of flavours. For a meatier dish, add
chunks of cooked chicken, ham or bacon when you add the eggs.

ingredients

400g new potatoes, thickly sliced

Low-calorie cooking spray

1 onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 orange pepper, deseeded and cut into small pieces

400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

400g can chopped tomatoes with herbs

300ml passata

1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

100g spinach

4 medium eggs

A handful of basil, to garnish

method

Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes, or until just tender. Drain well.

Meanwhile, spray a large frying pan with low-calorie cooking sprayand place over a medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and pepper and stir-fry for 5 minutes until softened.

Stir in the potatoes and beans, then add the tomatoes, passata and
Worcestershire sauce to taste. Season and simmer for 10-12 minutes, or
until thickened.

Stir through the spinach and allow to wilt. Make 4 shallow indentsin
the mixture and crack an egg into each one. Cover and cook gently for 5
minutes, or place under a medium-hot grill, until the eggs are set to
your liking. Add a twist of black pepper and serve garnished with basil
leaves.

Tip: Swap Worcestershire sauce for any Free alternative to make the recipe vegetarian friendly.

Sunday, August 6, 2017

These magic sponges cook in the microwave in just 30 seconds and the finished pudding will be on the table in just 10 minutes!

ingredients

2 eggs

Low calorie cooking spray

3 level tbsp cocoa powder

3 tbsp sweetener granules, plus 2 level tsp for the sauce

1 level tsp cornflour

65g low-fat spread

65g self-raising flour

method

To make the sauce, put 1 level tbsp cocoa, 2 level tsp sweetener and
85ml water in a saucepan over a medium heat and stir well. Once it’s
bubbling, mix the cornflour with 1 tbsp water and add to the pan. Cook
for 4-5 minutes or until thickened and glossy, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cream the remaining sweetener with the spread and mix in the sieved flour, eggs and remaining cocoa.

Spray 4 mugs with low-calorie cooking spray and pour in the batter.
Cover each mug with cling film, pierce with a fork and cook them one by
one in the microwave for 30 seconds on high. Check they’re spongy by
touching the surface with your finger - they might need another 10
seconds. Leave to rest for 1 minute.